By Emmanuel Gandu
INTRODUCTION
The Holy books, the preachers, men and women of good will speak continuously to our consciences on the need to forgive those who offend us, and love our enemies as we love ourselves.
As good as the message sounds in the ears, it is however not easy for one to obey these Clarion calls, these messages, and teachings in spirit and truth. This is even more difficult especially in the prevailing in trouble spots around the world including Nigeria.
To a good number of people who have not been on the receiving end, or on the bad side of the spotlight, it is normal to forgive and love the enemy.
To some, talking to them about forgiveness and love of enemy can be said to be as difficult a herculean task as a camel passing through ‘the eye of the needle’.
HOW CAN I FORGIVE ?
@ When they burn, kill, and rape my daughter, sister, wife, and mother in my helpless presence. How can I forgive and love them ?
@ When they demand and I pay them huge ransom in order for them to release my family members and friends they have kidnapped and abducted. How can I ?
@ When they kill, burn, drive me out then occupy my ancestral land. How can I ?
@ When they release their cows to do open grazing and destroy my farm crops, and when I complain they kill me. How can I forgive and love them ?
@ When they deny me and my children employment because I am not one of them. How can I ?
@ When they dismiss me from the job that feeds my nuclear and extended family because I don’t belong to their tribe. How can I forgive and love my enemy ?
@ When they are unfair, unjust, and slam me with the hatred of nepotism and when I cry out for justice, they arrest me of hate speech. How can I ?
@ When they remove fuel subsidy in order to have more money for their luxury and to lavish around while the masses of the poor are languishing in abject poverty. How can I ?
@ When I complain of marginalization in a peaceful protest procession, the send in the armed forces to shoot and kill me, then proscribe and ban the social media so that the free world will not see nor hear of their atrocities. How can I ? How can I forgive and love them ?
FORGIVENESS AS HOPE FOR ME
My dear friend, you may not realize how strong you are until the opportunity beckons, until you forgive someone who wasn’t never sorry for the wrong done to you.
May be he did it intentionally, may be not.
Whatever and however, prepare to accept an apology you may never receive.
It is not an easy journey to get to a place where you forgive someone, but it is such a powerful place to be because it sets you free. Free from bondage, captivity, mental torture, rage, anger, bitterness, and malice.
It may hurt you initially, but this will bring some healing to both the offender and the offended.
Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls your emotions, your feelings, your actions.
The power of forgiveness is enormously magical, it is devine, it is a soothing balm. It makes you more civil. It is a gift you give to yourself.
FORGIVENESS AS PRACTICED BY WORLD ACCLAIMED MEN AND WOMEN OF GOOD WILL
(1) Mahatma Gandhi says that – “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”
According to the Indian strong man,
“forgive others not because they deserve forgiveness but because you deserve peace”.
(2) Nelson Mandela was locked in prison for 27 years from 1963 to 1990 for his opposition stance against white minority rule in South Africa by successive white governments. Upon his release from prison, he did not bear any hate on the white apartheid regime but he forgave and loved them.
Mandela went on to become the first black president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
As a peace ambassador of world repute, Mandela also won the Nobel Peace Price in 1993.
(3) Pope John Paul II was shot point blanc at close range by Mehmet Ali Agca, a Muslim Turkish citizen in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on 13th May, 1981. The bullets devastated his organs but narrowly missed his ❤️ heart.
On recovery from the hospital bed, the Pope visited his assailant in prison on 27 December, 1983.
In the prison cell with Ali Agca, John Paul II heard his confession, prayed for him, and forgave him.
Mehmet Ali Agca who had been a serial killer, a prison escapee, and an ex convict turned a new leaf. Agca converted from Islam to Catholicism. He latter travelled to Rome where he laid flowers at the tomb of John Paul II.
A few years after his death Pope John Paul II was Canonised a Saint in 2014, the fastest canonization in recent memory.
(4) Mother Teresa who’s real name is Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxh spent her entire life feeding, nursing, and caring for the poor, sick, homeless, and destitutes on the streets of India and other Countries.
A Roman Catholic Reverend Sister, and preaching love and peace all her life, she died in 1997.
She was Canonised a Saint in 2016 by Pope Francis.
A few of her memorable quotes include the following :
✓ “People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self – centered. Forgive them anyway because in the final analysis, it was never between you and them anyway”
✓ We do not need bombs and guns to bring peace. We need love and compassion”
✓ “If you judge people, you have no time to love them”
✓ “The world is full of good people. If you can’t find one be one”
✓ “To forgive takes love”
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT FORGIVENESS AND LOVE
(a) “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But now I tell you, do not take revenge on your enemy. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn for him the left cheek to slap too” – Matthew 5:38-39
(b) “You have heard that it was said, love your friends and hate your enemies. But now I tell you, love your enemies………so that you may become the sons of your father in heaven” – Matthew 5:43-45
(c) The Psalms reminds us that ” Lord if you should mark our guilty, who will survive” – Psalm 130:3
(d) If we forgive those that offend us, our father in heaven will in turn forgive us our wrongs – Mark 11:25
(e) “Hate stirs up trouble, but love overlooks all offences” – Proverbs 10:12
(f) “If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your father in heaven will forgive you” – Matthew 6:14
BUT I may be forced to say that I’m not Jesus, I’m not Nelson Mandela, I’m neither Pope John Paul II, nor Mahatma Gandhi, or Mother Theresa.
Hmmmnnnnnnnm.
However, I do well know that there is God, the ultimate one, and he forgives and forgets, so why can’t I ?
Yes, I can.
